Chaudhry Munawar Anjum
It is very unfortunate for a government to disassociate itself from its people and say that it is doing a very good job. If we talk about public opinion about the current regime, there is no good word from anywhere about the performance of this government. However, present government is doing media management in a very good way.
But still, after observing worries of the people, media sometimes published and broadcast the real news.
The current situation is that the Punjab government has left more than one and a half crore consumers of the city at the mercy of the situation.
According to a report, complaints are being received about severe shortage of sugar and flour in the open market of different areas like Tajpura Scheme, Mughalpura, Fleming Road, Gawalmandi, Daroghawala, Nisbat Road, Railway Stations.
A serious crisis of sugar and flour has arisen in the slums and adjoining areas including Harbanspura Jallo Mor, Manawan.
Open market grocers say that the sugar crisis has entered its fourth week but now they have not been getting flour for a week.
Vendors said that even expensive sugar is not available now. Citizens said that only 30 Ramadan bazaars are set up in the city.
The needs of 1.5 crore population cannot be met and the government is unable to fulfill its responsibility in this regard.
On the other hand, regarding the unavailability of sugar, Justice Shahid Jamil of the Lahore High Court took notice of the long queues of sugar buyers in the Ramadan bazaars and ordered to end the queues, remarking during the hearing that why there are long queues in the Ramadan bazaars. ?
Why people are not getting sugar at Rs 85 per kg from ordinary shopkeepers? Citizens in Lahore are forced to stand in long queues to get cheap sugar.
On this, the public prosecutor said that they are getting Rs. 85 per kg. The court said that the news on media is against your statement.
The public prosecutor said that sugar was being sold at Rs 85 per kg at shops and Rs 65 per kg in Ramadan bazaars. On this, the court remarked that you have made people beggars only for the savings of Rs. 15.
The public prosecutor said that people are being given sugar by sitting on chairs.
On this, the court ordered to submit an affidavit that there will be no queues for sugar.
Guess how disrespectful and insulting the human dignity is that people have to line up for food items even produced in the country.
And by showing the identity card, one kg of sugar is being given, on which the apex court had also expressed concern and scolded the public prosecutor, but the government is unmoved over this.
Earlier, an investigation report by the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) set up by the government revealed that Jahangir Tareen, a key leader of the ruling party, had benefited the most from the sugar crisis in the country.
The companies of the brother of Minister Khusro Bakhtiar and the third in the ruling coalition Monis Elahi benefited.
The report also said that the incompetence of the federal and provincial governments was the main reason for the flour crisis.
Under whose pressure did the government subsidize the sugar mills and why did the Economic Co-ordination Committee allow the export of the sugar? In this regard, Federal Minister for Planning Asad Umar says that he is sure that Imran Khan will do justice at any situation.
Now the time wil tell that when Imran Khan does justice. It may be recalled that Jahangir Khan Tareen is considered an important leader of PTI while Khusro Bakhtiar is a member of the federal cabinet and he used to hold the portfolio of Ministry of Food Security and Research but now he is the Federal Minister for Industries and Production.
Makhdoom Hashim Javan Bakht is a member of the Punjab cabinet and is the provincial finance minister.
Opposition parties have already blamed the federal minister and the ruling party leader for the crisis.
We were talking about the sugar crisis on which the federal government has announced to subsidize utility stores on the one hand, and the Punjab government on the other, to take action against those who allegedly hoard it.
The district administration of Lahore had in recent days seized thousands of bags of sugar from different parts of Lahore.
The traders have expressed their reservations over the seizure. They are of the view that stocking sugar is essential for the sugar business.
So the question is, how much sugar does it fall into the category of hoarding? It seems like a simple process, but it is also important to see why the government is so scared of hoarding that it has to use MPO.
In this context, it is also easy to understand the recent rise in sugar prices.
Then the profiteer enters the scene, the sugar is kidnapped and stored in huge quantity.
Thus, if the sugar does not reach the market, then the game falls into the hands of the profiteer. The demand for sugar increases and he releases this sugar against the high prices.
According to the spokesperson of Pakistan Sugar Mills Association, every shop or store has a warehouse that stores sugar. “They have no secrets.”
It is at the discretion of the bureaucracy to inspect and sometimes release those with several hundred bags and sometimes take action against those with fifty bags. “Some quarters have expressed this concern.
Sugar mills may also be involved in hoarding. This can be done to increase the demand for sugar.
If the mills are not allowed to enter the sugar market, the demand and consequently the price will increase. This could benefit the sugar mills. The crisis occurs when sugar is not available.
”So could the rise in price be due to hoarding by mills? According to the spokesman, the record of sugar in the mills is handed over to the authorities on a daily basis and earlier it was done every month, now it is done every day.
According to him, the main reason for the rise in sugar price is the price of sugarcane.
There is an increase, some of which is due to the increase in sales tax, and with it the unnecessary picketing by the government.
Remember, whether it is sugar or wheat, its crisis is visible only in Punjab not in other province which proves that the Punjab government is not capable of fulfilling its responsibilities.
